{"id":2846,"date":"2018-11-24T17:35:21","date_gmt":"2018-11-24T22:35:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursperu.com\/conozcan-la-montana-arco-iris-cuzco-peru\/"},"modified":"2026-07-19T23:49:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T04:49:32","slug":"how-to-get-to-rainbow-mountain-vinicunca-peru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freewalkingtoursperu.com\/en\/blog\/how-to-get-to-rainbow-mountain-vinicunca-peru\/","title":{"rendered":"How to get to Rainbow Mountain Peru? | leaves from Cusco to Vinicunca"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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History and Origin of Formation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How to get to Rainbow Mountain Peru<\/strong> – Vinicunca Mountain| According to geology, the mountains of the Peruvian Andes were formed by horizontal collisions<\/strong> of the tectonic plates that resulted into vertical increases of the mountains<\/strong> towards the upper parts<\/strong>; this is the main formula that explains the origin of most of the mountains worldwide. We also have to consider other climatic events such as snow, winds, rain, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The classic rainbow mountain of Cusco or Vinicunca<\/strong>, was formed approximately 24 million years ago with sediments or minerals such as gravel, halite, sandstone and limestone from different colors such as red, yellow, ocher, purple, green, pink, blue , etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The abundance of ice that covered these mountains until a few years ago made it possible to preserve the minerals at the top of the mountain, preventing erosion of the minerals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the global warming that is currently happening, thawing of the ice that once covered the entire mountain happened. If this climate event had not occurred, would wouldn\u2019t know anything about this attraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How far is Rainbow Mountain from Cusco?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The cclassic rainbow mountain of Cusco or Vinicunca is located in the southern part of Cusco at 5200 meters above sea level<\/strong> (17060 feet) , in the province of Canchis among the communities of Pitumarca<\/strong>, Llaqto <\/strong>and Pampa Chiri<\/strong> which share the possession of this natural attraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that this colorfull mountain is not under the control of the Ministry of Culture<\/a>, nor do we believe that this will happen in the near future, for example Machu Picchu<\/a> is under the administration of the Ministry of Culture, but this system doesn\u00b4t benefit the indigenous populations who live around to Machu Picchu, this is the main reason why the native people from the Rainbow Mountain do not want the government intervention for administration and preservation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Weather:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The weather on the Andes of Peru and the Rainbow Mountain is dry, cold, at higher altitude there is less oxygen, more wind,<\/strong> and you feel like the Sun is burning your skin<\/strong>, because of the sea level elevation. For example, the Rainbow Mountain is located at 5200 meters above sea level<\/strong>, which means we are 5200 meter closer to the Sun and that is why you feel “the burn” of the sunshine. The temperature can drop to 0 \u00b0C (32 \u00b0F) between June and August. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fauna and Flora:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most important animals from the Andes of Peru is made up of Andean camelids such as the Llamas, Alpacas, Vicu\u00f1as and also other animals such as Chinchillas, Pumas, the Foxes, the Paddington Bear<\/strong> and the Condor<\/strong>. If you go to the rainbow mountain, you will probably see Llamas and Alpacas because they are domesticated animals however, it is hard to see the wild animals.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The flora of Vinicunca is mainly composed of the Straw or “Ichu” in the Quechua language, it is a natural fiber that is used to make “adobes” (mud bricks), roof houses, even to make suspension bridges, such as the famous Queswachaka Inca Bridge<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are the colors of Vinicunca Rainbow mountain?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Well, we always hear about the 7 colors, but the truth is that there are many more colors, between primary and secondary, for example: red, yellow, blue, violet, orange, green, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n

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If you like to capture the sharpness of a photo, you will need a super sunny day and a camera with great lenses and awesome angle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When is the best time to go Vinicunca Rainbown Mountain?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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On the Peruvian Andes there are two different seasons of the year: the rainy season<\/strong> (December to March) and the dry season<\/strong> (April to November).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advantages and Disadvantages of going to the Mountain in the dry season:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Remember that this season coincides with the high season of tourism in Cusco<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n